Rail-joint.



T w y r .kmen

H. P. JOHNSON.

, RAIL 1mm. APPLICATION FILED NOV.1l.19l8.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. P. JGHNSON.

RAN. JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1I. i918. y Lgggg@ Patented Feb. 2o, 1.9m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' TQ all 'whom t may' concern:

UNITED 4Sei'l-ES HANS 12.' :nms"n,y or RACINE, wisconsin.

vratene:ation aiea'noverbe'r ligfiets.' seria; no; spatio.k

Be it known that I', HANS P. 'JOHNSON-,la citizen of the United States,"residing fat' Racine, in the county of Racineand `State' of Visconsin, have' invented certain new and.

useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following-is a specification.v

This invention has reference toinriproven ments in rail joints of'that type in Which the use of the usual fish plates and bolt and nut connections is Wholly dispensed withv and in Which the meeting ends of the rails are sustained on rail chairs and the rails are held by opposing clamping members `andcoperating devices that hold'the-pa'rts 'to their assembled position. e K, Y Y* My Vinvention primarily has forgitsfpuifpose to provide an improved rail joint'of meeting ends of the rails so sustained that' the pounding action that usually takes place as the rolling stock passes' thereover, is reduced to the minimum.' v

The novel `features 'of myinvention .Will

be first described in detail, specifically pointed out in the appended I'claims and illus# trated in the accompanying` drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view ofnmy irn' proved rail joint, the parts being in the as-v.` sembled or operative positionfin connection` with the meeting endslof a pair of'rails, ""jl Fig.'2 is a transverse section thereo'ftakenj Fig. 4 is a cross section'of th'esame" taken on the line 4--1 on Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view that illustrates p the manner in which the combined Acl'iairand" housing member and the' clamping plates are assembled for beine slippedonto onelend of one rail section 'and adjusted for receiving the end of, the '.'other lrail section,"a portion ofthe latterbeing indicatedin dottedlines.

A`Fig; 6A shows the manner in" Which 'the 6 0 wedge members and theirspring connection f are fitted into anoperativefp'o'sition, after the parts have been assembled on the'rail ends, as. indicated in'Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view'of one 'ofthe 65- clamping or joint plates or vmembers. vherein'- after specifically referred to. V

In carrying out my invention, I provide a combined railv chair or housing member 1,V

ivhich includes a baseplat'eI 2 that extends the, full length of the'meniber 1, assis best shown in Figs. l, 2 and''.

Along the upperface, the baseplate 2 has a longitudinal groove 3 that extends the full length thereof and into which, when the 7.5A

parts are assembled,` fits the base 40 of the rail 4, the outer edges 4:1' of which base bear against the opposite shoulders or abu'tments 30 that hold theirail" from laterally creeping upon theJ aforesaid chair base 2. p

Along its outer edges, thelbase" plate 2 has spike notches 5 forfreceivin' the spikesiO that secure the chair bnto t e cross tie, as shown.

The combined chairand housing member 815 l Ialso includes oppositelyy disposed brace members or webs 6-6 that extend the'. full length thereof and each of the said brace webs 6 6 has I`a housing 7 at each -end thereof of peculiar construction, as' is best 90 shown in Fig. 2, by reference to 'Which' it will be' seen that the said housings 7 each comprise a longitudinally extended keeperv which includes a back bearing 8 that is 7disposed at an angle of approximately. thirty 955` degrees relatively to thev web ofthe rail 4,

the 'purpose of which will presently appear.` The housings 7 are integralparts of their respective'brace niembers'f and the up? pered'ge of one of the sadbrace members'6` 10.0

is fljisl/i ,Witlrthe tops'tlie lhousings which.y latter are l at a plane bfeloiv `A'thel ,tread surface sof; the rail.

aeg-ether' tra@ materf ai 'in idyvay'a length, isvlformred with.y aI vertical extension 1,0,5 6de/hose topy surface ls'fi'ush with the tready face of the'meeting' endsfof the two rail sectionsgl l' 'l By Pro1' ecting the members (iatv Oife side,

asstated, the top surface oftheeigtension 11p constitutes a supplemental' tread surface'thatv is engaged# by the passinwsrg,` car Wheels and Q QdeSig-nates wedge blocks, one for each housing, and each ot' the said blocks has asocket 90 on the inner end. the purpose of .which will presently appear.

1( 10 designatev clamp plates, one of which fiets each side of the Webs of the mccting ends oi" the rails.

Each;clamping plate 1G includes a toot portioiii'll and near each end, each of such plates 1Q has a Wedge-like web 12 provided with an inclined bearing face 13 and the said faces 13 of the webs 12 are'adapted for being projected through apertures (32% 63 in the corresponding ends of the bracket YWebs 6 and into the housings 7 7 for-cooperating with the Wedgeblocks 9 9, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In the practical application of 'my construction of rail joint, the oppositely disposed clamp plates are placed between the Web-like braces 6 of the main listing or chair with their bearing portions 1;). 13 pressed backthrough their coincident apertures GS in the braces (3 6, so as to give clearance for vslipping the chair with the clamp plates over and along the end of one rail section in the direction indicated by the arron7 :z: on Fig. 5. A

TWhen the rail chair with the plates 10 1O has been slid onto the end of one rail section, as stated, the outer or free ends of the clamping plates 10-10 are positioned to allor-d a clearance for pushing the end of other rail sections (see dotted lines on Figo) to engage with the chairand the clamp plates 10 and for being slid (see arrow y) up against the end of the other rail section.

After the rail sections, the chair and the clamp plates have been connected, as stated, the wedge bloc-ks 9 9 are inserted into their respective housings 7 7, it being understood Athat in fitting the Wedges 9 9 into 'their housings 7 7, they engage with the jfaces 13 of the bearing webs 12 on the clamp plates l0 and, as the said Wedges are forced home, they operate to force the plates 10 tightly against the rail web and with their foot portions irmly seated against the base flanges of the rail, such result beingprovided for by the inclination of the baclr hearings 8 of the housings and the hearing faces 1B oi the plate members 12 (see arrows 2 2 on Fig. 52)

To hold each 'of the opposing pairs of Wedges 9 9 in place and to provide foi-'tak` by reason of Wear and contraction of the parts, during low temperatures, l have pro,l

vided the devices best shown in Figs. 3 and 6, which devices each consist or consists ot a pair of telescopically connected rods 15S- 16, each having, at one end, a disk 15 1tla a stud 15b 16, the latter being prosfidcd for seating into the sockets of their respective Wedges 9 withivhich they are conne l 17 designates a stout coil spring disposed about the telescopic rods 15, 16 with the opposite ends thereof abutting the disks 15 161, as shown.`

In fitting the Wedge holding devices in place, one rod end is secured in the socket of its respective Wedge and by means of a suitable implement the other rod is pushed back (see arrow h on Fig. 6) and telescoped into the other rod until the stud llpassee the inner face of the adjacent wedge 9, after which the pushed back rod end is shoved laterallyv until its stud 1Gb slips into the socket of the said adjacent Wedge 8.

This latter operation completes :the prac` tical application of my rail joint, it being understood that, when the Wedge holding devices have been applied, as stated and shown, they constitute the means that not only hold the parts positively loclted in their proper operative 'condition but also means that automatically take up any loosening of the parts by reason oi wear or change in temperature. l

To prevent tampering and to aiiord protection against the weather, the spring devices. atter being adjusted, are incased by housing plates 18-18 secured by bolts 1li-i9 or other suitable means.

`What I claim is:

1. The combination with the adjacent ends ot railway rails; of a. chair in which the abutting ends and the base flanges of the rails are disposed, the said chair including oppositely d is vosed vertical brace members.y a clamp plate tted between each of the brace members and the web of the oppo. rail ends, means engaging the said L- members and the said plates that constantly' apply pressure to hold the said clamp nienihers against the Web and the base portion of the said abutting rail ends, the said n' 'i consisting of Wedges that engage the clamp plates, bearings on the 'brace members with which the Wedges engage, the said bearings 'being vertically inclined with respect to the rails, whereby, when the wedges are forced home, pressure is exerted on the clamp plates to cause them to tightly. engage the Webs and base flanges of the rails, d l ic tending to constantly' force the said vtightly against the cha-ir and the platt The combination with the ace is of railway rails; of a chair in which the abutting ends and the base flanges of the Miti rails are disposed, the said chair including oppositely disposed vertical brace members,

a clamp plate titted between each of the said 'brace members and the web of the opposing rail ends, means engaging the said brace members and the said plates that con-A to tightly engage the webs and base flanges of the rails, and devices tending to constantly fori-9 the said wedges tightly against the chair and the plates, said devices comprising telescopic rod members for each pair of wedges and coil springs disposed upon the rod members with their opposite ends engaging the opposing rod members, whereby to normally expand the'said rod members, the end of each rod member having engagement with the inner end of its respective wedge.

3. The combination with the adjacent ends of railway rails; of a chair in which the abutting ends and the base flanges of the rails are disposed, the said chair including ppos'itely .disposed vertical brace members, a clamp plate fitted 'between each of the said brace members and the web of the opposing rail ends, means engaging the said brace members and the said plates that constantly apply pressure to hold the said clamp members against the web and the base portion of the said abutting rail ends, the said means consisting of wedges that engage the clamp plates, bearings on the brace members with which the wedges engage, the said bearings being vertically inclined with respect to the rails, whereby, when the wedges are forced home, pressure is exerted on the clamp plates to cause them to tightly engage the webs and base flanges of the rails, and devices tending to constantly force the said Wedges tightly against thepchair and the plates, said devices comprising telescopic rod mem bers for each pair of wedges and coil springs disposed upon therod members with their opposite ends' engaging the opposingrod members, whereby to normally expand the said rod members, the end of each rod member having engagement with the inner end of its respective wedge, the brace members of the chair having tapered housings for receiving the wedges, the clamp plates having projections provided'with bearings with which the wedges engage, thehousings having apertures through which the' said projections on the clamp plates pass.

4. In a rail joint, a rail clamping chair adapted to receive and secure the abutting ends of the rail sections, the said'chair including oppositely disposed parallel sidel brace members, each of the said brace members having a horizontally extended housing at each end, the back ybearing of which is downwardly and outwardly inclined, said housing being also tapered inwardly from the inner to the outer end, the said brace members each having an aperture on that side opposite the back bearings, a clamp plate having a. foot portion, one of the said plates being fitted between each of the rail chair side members and the webs of the opposing;u rail sections, each of the said plates having a bearing web at each end that pass through the apertures at their respective ends of the chair side-members, said bearing webs each having a bearing face in-V HANS P. JOHNSON. 

